Automatic gear-shifting mechanism.



A.1.SCHOENBEIN. AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 29,1916.

Patented Sept. 24, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. J. SCHUENBEIN.

AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTlNG MECHANISM.

APPLHCAT'ION FILED 05c. 29. I9l6.

1,279,768. v PatentedSpt/M, 191

3 SHEETS -SHEET 2- I I w A. J. SCHOENBEIN. AUTOMATIC GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DE C. 29.1916.

' Patented Sept. 24,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT ALBERT J. SCHOENBEIN, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC GEAR-SHIFTING MECHANISM.

s ecificanmi t Iletters Patent,

Application Med December 28, 1916. Serial N o. 139,657.

llhis invention rel: ,u an automatic shifting moohmn 11, end, has pnrtic e reference to oei'tsin in'ipro'venienis in eminootion with the gear shifting meohw nisms disclosed by an application filed Aug. 24:, .1916, Serial No. 116,705, and another z ppliontion lilecl September 1st, 1916 Serial No. 118,008 i The particular improvement herein (115' closed is in. the simplification of construction, the dispensing will cert; 'n elements, While retaining the r'"; t functions thereof, and the snhstitutionnhd modification of certain other features and elements vi'hi 2h reduce the of construction and i and efiioieocy of the mechanism.

" '1 will he hereinmod, and refer e haul to the drawings,

wherein- Figure 1 is a, vertical seot1o1mly1ew of an automatic gear shifting meolialn n in new trail position;

F 1g. 2 "i plan of e portion of the mechenisrn with the easing; in horizontal section;

Fig. 3 is n vertical sectional view of the gear shifting Inecln nisni in neutral posi tion;

Fig, 4C is a plan of a portion of the mechanism, showing an H plate; 7 V

Fig. 5 is" a vertical sectione v etvv of a portion of' the gear shifting 'ineohanism, showing the main gear shifting 'zlrm in sec 0nd or third position;

Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of a portion of the mechanism in third. position;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the mechanism in second. position;

Fig. 8 1s a sunilar new of the mechanism first position;

9 is a similar view or the mechanism in reversed position, and i Fig. 10 is "a. diagrammatic view of 'th gear shiftingmeohenism in reverse position and illustrating electrical devices andtcom neetions thereof.

'lhroughout the drawings, the reference numerals 1 and 2 denote superposed com [ruminating casings, the former being of the ordinary construction and the latter especially desi ned} as part of my invention, The casing 1 provides an inclosure for an ordinary change speed gear mechanism includlfatenteq'figpt; 24, 1918.,

ing an engine shaft 3, a drive shaft 4, a U

counter-shaft 5, a train of gears 6 between the engine shaft- 3 and the oountershaft'l);

second, first and reverse gears, 7, Bwand 9* respectively, on the oonntershaft 5, shiftable gears 10 and 11 on the drive shaft 4-, ii clutch 12 between the engine-shaft and the shift-' able gear 10 and the drive shaft s, and

rotatable reverse gem-13 associated with the reverse gear 9 of the eountershnft 5; The

casing 1 also supports parallel rods M and 15 for hifnroeteclor slotted gear sliifhmembers 16 and 17 respectively, saiclmen'ihersextending upwardly into the casing v The mci'nbeis 1G and 17, have forks 18, the'f0rk oi the gear shift 1nember 16 disposed for shifting the gear 10 and the fork. of the gear shift member gear 11.

The Casing 2 is provirled with-iloiigitiid 17 P QCL to Shiftfthei,

nnl alining bearings 19 for a, longitudinal shaft 20 adapted to be reciprocated -:ind

rocked or oscillated. Mounted on the. she-ft 20 within the casing. 2, is a main gear shitting arm 21 and the lower end of said arm .is

normally held in the bifurcationof the gear-- shift memherl'? by a pivoted spring pressed arm 22 carried ,by" a bracket 2,3; fo imingpw rt of the ca 35 The upperend; who won fi ings-hi H shepedis nt Mani he:

21 protrq top of the oas ing 2, so thatit mny'hexmimm ally shifted should occas on require:f:,;By l y. i

reference to 4: of'the drawing, it: will be notedthait the top of theoasing has indioia. to indicate gear positions.

with a bracket 25.f0r a, solenoid- 26, 'said solenoid-havinga core 27 extending throu h 1 A side wall iofothe'ioasing 2,-is provided lower end of the arm 21, as best shown in Fig.3. The core 27 is in opposed relation to the arm 22 and a ortion of said core is non-magnetic while tie remaining portion is of magnetic material, so that when the solenoid is ener ized, the core 27 will shift the lower end 0 the arm 21 into the bifurcation ofthe member 16 and when the sole noid is de'e'nergized, the spring pressed arm 22 when assuming normal position will restore the core 27 to normal position. The solenoid 26 constitutes means or an electrical device for rocking or oscillating the shaft 20, in conjunction with the arm 22, so that the lower end of the gear shifting arm 21 will either occupy a first speed and reverse position or a second and third speed posiion.

An end wall of the casing 2 has a bracket 29 and on said bracket is a double solenoid consistingof windings 30 and 31 having a common core 32 forming part of the shaft 20, said shaft being of non-magnetic material with the core 32 interposed at one end thereof. The double solenoid constitutes means or an electrical device for reciprocaiting the shaft 20 in a desired direc tion and associated with the shaft 20 is an automatic switch controlling certain elec-' tric circuits.

The casing 2 has a housing 33 for that end of'theshaft 20 opposite the core 32 and on the end of the shaft 20 within the housing 33 .is an insulator- 34 for a metallic sleeve 35. Normally contacting with the sleeve '35 is a brush 36. carried by and insulated from the wall of the housing 33. Another wall of the housing 33 is provided with insulators 37 for resilient contact fingers 38 and 39 adapted to be engaged by the sleeve 35, and

' in order that the operation of the mechanisni'may be clearly understood; as herein afterset forth, it is well to bear .in mind I hereinafter referred to.

that the sleeve cannot engage both of the contact fingers 38; and 39 at the same time.

Reference will now be had to Fig. 10 illustrating diagrammatically the gear shifting mechanism'associated with'a clutch 40, a suitable source of electrical energy, as batteries 41, and 'a selector device 42. The selector device comprises a series-of push buttons for reverse, neutral, first, second and third speed positions and as such will be Associated with the third speed button are contacts 43 and 44, with .the second speed button contacts 45 and 46,

with first speed button a" single contact 47, the neutral button a single contact 48, and. with the reverse button a single contact 49, Before any circuits can be established by the selector buttons, it is necessarythat theclutch 40 be thrown out topre cars, so,

vent clashing or l ircaking speed the clutch pedal has been ineuded m '49 by wire to the winding the electric circuit and is connected by a wire 51 to the batteries 41. With the clutch pedal 50 de ressed and the clutch out, said clutch pcda engages a contact 52 connected to a bus bar 53 and said bus bar has a connection 54 with each of the selector buttons.

Other electrical connections are as fcl lows:

The solenoid 26 is conncrtect by a'wire to the batteries 41 and b lvirfes 56 to the contacts 45 and 4 rcspectiv The winding 31 of the double solez'z cld connected by a wire 58 Le the battery and by a wire 59 to the contact fillg' The wire 59 is connected by wires 60 .22255 s1 to the contacts 49 and 46 rcspectivelv.

The contact 44 of the third speed i: is connected by a wire 62 to the ct. finger 39 and said wire is connected. b wire 63 to the contact 47 of the first speed button.

The windingIBO of the double solenoid is connected by a wire 64 to the wire 58 leading to the batteries 41 and by a wire 65 to the wire 63 leading to the contact 47.

The contact 48 of the neutral button is connected by a wire 66 to the brush 36 of the switch.

Operation Assuming that the gears of the change speed transmission mechanism are 'in neutral position and it is desired to shift th gears for a reverse position, the clutch 40 is thrown out and the reverse button ofthe selector device pressed to engage the contact 49. The following circuit is established: from batteries 41 by wire 51 to the clutch pedal 50, contact 52 to the bus,

From contact 31 of the double solenoid-and then .by wire 58 to the batteries 41. formed by the winding 31 is energized, and the shaft 20 is reciprocated, causing the bar 53 and reverse button.

lower end of the arm. 21 to shift the member- 17 and move the gears 9 and 13.

Another example: Supposing the gears gear 11 to the reverse are in neutral position and it is'desired to shift the same to second speed. The clutch 40 is thrown out and the second speed buttonof the selector device is pressed to suecessively engage the contacts 45 and 46. Theifirst circuit established is as follows battery 41 by .wire 51 to clutch pedal 50, contact 52 to the bus-bar 53 and second speed button of the selector device, from contact 45 by wire 56 to. the solenoid 26 and then by wire 55 to thebatteries 41. The

.solenoid 26 is energized and the core 27 thereof is projected farther into the casing 2 tomove the lower end of the arm 21out of the bifurcation of the member 17 and into the bifurcation of the member 16; The

That part of the solenoid} arm 21 is now in position to shift, the member 16 either for second. speed or third speed,

but as second speed was selected, another circuit is established 1nv connection with the contact -16, and the circuit is as follows batteries 1-1. by wire til to clutch pedal 50,

contaot52 to bus bar 53 and second speed" shifted the gear 10 is moved into mesh with the second speed gear 7. a

Before first, second, third or reverse positions can be obtained, it is necessary to always bring the gears to neutral position, and the shaft 20 may gain some moincntum when being reciproeated, it is ap parent that the sleeve 35 will first engage oi'ie contact finger and then the other, thus causing tin: windings 30 and 131 of the double solenoid to be alternately and temporarily energized until" the shaft 20 is brought to a neutral position with the sleeve 35 of said shaft intermediate the. contact fingers 38 and 39.

VVhatI claim is:

1. In an automatic gear shifting mechanism, an arm adapted for changing the gears of a change speed mechanism, a shaft supporting said arm, a solenoid adapted to be energized to oscillate said arm in one direction, means maintaining said arm nor mally in position to be oscillated by said solenoid, and a double solenoid adapted to be energized to reciprocate said shaft.

In .11 automatic gear shifting mecha- 1, an arm adapted for changing the gears a change speed mechanism, a shaft supporting aid arena solenoid adapted to be cneraiaed to oscillate said arm, means opposed to said solenoid. maintaining said arm normally neutral, and a double solenoid adapted to be energized to reciprocate said shaft.

3. In an automatic gear shifting mechanism, the combination wit trical energy, a clutch pedal, and a selector device adaptedfor circuits with said clutch 'g iedal, and said source of electrical energy, of an arm. ada 'ited for changing the gears of a change speed mechanism, a shaft supporting said arm, a solenoid adapted to be.

placed. in one of the circuits by said selector device to oscillate said arm for a pre- (leteri'nined gear position, means maintain ing said arm normally in position to be oscillated by said solenoid, and a double solenoid having windings either of which may be placed. in a circuit by said selector device to reciprocate said shaft in a pre determined direction,

a source of elec- I 4. In an. automatic gi'een' l .shij in'g mechanism, the combination with ai s nice of electrical energy, a clultclipedal; and aselector device adapted foreiccuitspwith said clutch pedal andfl-aaid source of eie'ctrical energy, of an arm adapte'dion olih'r1gingthe gears of a change.speed mechanism,a shaft supporting said arm, -a1'-solenoi d-'.adapted to be placed in one ofthe circuits bv'saidselector device to oscillate said arm for predetermined gear positions, means constantly in contact with said arm adapted for main-' taining said aim normallv in position to be oscillated by said solenoid, and a double solenoid having windings either of which may be placed in a circuit by said selector device to reciprocate said shaft ina predetermined direction.

5. In a gear shifting mechanism,.the combination with a source of electrical energy a clutch pedal, and a selector device adapted for circuits with said clutch pedal and said source of electrical energy, of an arm adapted. for changin the gears of a chan e speed mechanism, a siaft supporting sai arm, a solenoid adapted to be placed in one of the circuits by said selector device to oscillate said arm for predetermined gear positions, means .maintaining said arm normally in position to be oscillated by said solenoid, a double. solenoid having windings either of which may be placed in a circuit by said selector device-"to recinrocatesai'd shaft in a predetermined direction, and a switch in circuit with said. double solenoid including said shaft as1a part thereof for alternately establishing circuits in connection with said double solenoid to restore said shaft and the arm thereofto neutral position.

6. In an automatic gear shifting mechanism, the combination with asource of electrical energy, :a clutch pedal, and a selector device adapted for circuits with said clutch pedal, and said source of.'electrical energy, of a shaft adapted to be rocked and reciprocaterl to eflect a change in" the gears of a change speed mechanism,"aneleetrical' device adapted to be placed. in one of "saidcircuits by said selector -.deviee 'to rock said shaft in one direction, means adapted to rocksaid shaft in the opposite direction, and

other of the circuits by said selector device to reciprocate said shaft in a'predetermined di ection.

i". In an automatic gear shifting mechanism, the combination with a source of elec-,

an electrical device adapted to be placed in selector device to rock said shaft, means adapted to hold said shaft in position to be rocked by said electrical device, an electrical device adapted to be placed in othe'r p f the circuits bysaid selector device to reciprocate said shaft in .a predetermined direction, and a 'switch in circuit with the last mentioned electrical device and having as a part thereof said shaft and adapted to complete circuits said last mentioned 10 electrical device to restore said shaft to normal position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT- J. SCHOENBEIN. Witnesses:

-K. D. FITCH,

F. ELMnR Sol- Mom 

